


Paper Anniversary

by Dreamin



Series: Hearts Out [7]
Category: Knives Out (2019)
Genre: Anniversary, Established Relationship, F/M, Married Couple, New Year's Eve, Older Man/Younger Woman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:06:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23047462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamin/pseuds/Dreamin
Summary: It's Benoit and Marta's first wedding anniversary, time for presents.
Relationships: Benoit Blanc/Marta Cabrera
Series: Hearts Out [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1570639
Comments: 6
Kudos: 44





	Paper Anniversary

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Spacecadet72](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spacecadet72/gifts).

> Inspired by a Tumblr prompt from Spacecadet72 -- "anniversary present." The traditional first anniversary present is paper, so that's what I went with. I hope you like it!

“Benoit?” Marta called out as she walked through the front door. “I’m home!” Driving through snow was nerve-wracking at best, but at night? All of her muscles were in knots and she had the mother of all tension headaches. After setting her bag down then taking off her coat, hat, gloves, scarf, and boots and hanging everything on the coat tree, she found a yellow post-it note stuck to the top of it with words in her husband’s handwriting.

** _Take a hot bath, darling._ **

Smiling to herself, she pocketed the post-it then headed upstairs. Benoit wasn’t in their bedroom but she did find the tub in their bathroom full of steaming hot water and fluffy white bubbles. _Mmm, just what I needed._

The moment she laid back against the tub, Marta felt her muscles unwind and the cares of the day just drift away like the steam. Afterwards, thoroughly relaxed, she slipped on her fuzzy white bathrobe and found another post-it in the pocket.

** _There’s something for you on the bed. It’s not your gift, just a little something extra._ **

Confused, she walked back into the bedroom and found a pair of teal silk pajamas and a matching robe, all of them neatly folded. _These weren’t here before._ Smiling to herself at the thought of her husband spying on her covertly, she put on the pajamas and robe then checked the pockets of the robe. Sure enough, there was another post-it.

** _“I could drink a case of you.”_ **

She hummed the Joni Mitchell song to herself as she headed for the wine cellar in the mansion’s basement. Another post-it was waiting for her, stuck to a bottle of her favorite red wine.

** _I’d check your secret stash if I were you._ **

Marta chuckled to herself as she grabbed the bottle and carried it upstairs to the unoccupied kitchen. Setting the bottle on the island, she then used the stepstool to get to the small cabinets above the refrigerator. Sure enough, stuck to the inside of the door on the left was another post-it, and inside the cabinet, her usual bag of Kisses had been replaced with one giant Kiss. Grabbing both Kiss and post-it, she climbed down then set them on the island beside the bottle of wine.

On the post-it note was simply a heart with **_BB + MB_** in the middle.

“I hope you liked your little goose chase,” her husband murmured from the doorway, one arm behind his back.

Marta turned to him, happily taking in his amused smile and twinkling eyes. “I loved it. The post-it notes were very sweet, perfect for our first anniversary. I’ll put them away for safekeeping.”

Benoit chuckled as he approached her. “Thank you, darlin’, but they’re only part of your present.” He brought his arm around to the front, a wrapped present in his hand. By the size and shape, Marta could tell it was a small book. “Happy anniversary, Marta,” he said, grinning.

“Benoit, you shouldn’t have, the other things were more than enough,” she said as she unwrapped it.

“Post-it notes aren’t quite good enough for my wife’s first anniversary present,” he said, grinning in anticipation.

The book was a book of love poems, with a post-it sticking out from inside it. Marta opened the book to that page.

** _This could be me saying these words to you._ **

The post-it was stuck to the poem “Love” by Roy Croft. “One of my favorites,” she said, smiling softly, then read aloud the first few lines. _“‘I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you, not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me.’”_

Benoit grinned happily. “See? He took the words right outta my mouth.”

Marta grinned back. “He must have.” She softy kissed his cheek. “I love it, Benoit. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, darlin’.” There was enough love in his eyes to inspire a hundred poetry books.

She gently pulled his head down for a kiss. “Wait right here,” she said when they came up for air, “I’ll get your present.” She headed for the doorway.

“You didn’t have to do that, Marta,” he protested weakly.

She chuckled as she grabbed her bag and brought it back into the kitchen. “Yes, I did. I didn’t have time to wrap it,” she said as she opened the bag and pulled out the folded document, “but I hope you like it.” She unfolded it then set it in front of him.

Benoit looked it over, his eyes widening with every word, then he looked up at her, amazed. “Marta … this is a book contract.”

She grinned delightedly. “Yes, a book contract with Blood Like Wine. I talked to the head editor, she’s dying to publish your memoirs.”

“I wasn’t serious about writin’ them,” he protested, though his heart wasn’t in it.

“Yes, you were,” Marta insisted gently. “You have so many stories to tell, the world should get a chance to read them.”

He looked down at the contract again and let out a low whistle. “That’s a lot of zeroes.”

She grinned. “We’re convinced it’ll be a best-seller.”

Benoit hemmed and hawed. “I don’t know how long it’ll take me to write it. I’ll have to do it between cases,” he smiled a bit, “and when I’m not busy bein’ your adorin’ husband.”

Marta chuckled. “I’m sure you can find the time. There’s no deadline.”

He grinned at her. “I’ll do it, I just need a little … persuasion.”

She smiled as she took her husband’s hand and led him out of the kitchen, heading for the stairs. “Let’s get the fireworks started a little early.”


End file.
